Condicionales enfáticas

The use of the conditional to add emphasis or change the focal point of the information is a common feature of Spanish.

The following constructions are not conditional clauses in the normal sense, because the condition does not have to be met; they are called pseudocondicionales.

1. Copulativas condicionales enfáticas

A conditional 'if clause', usually containing one of the indefinite pronouns alguien, algo, or alguno, followed by a clause with the verb ser, is generally referred to as an oracióncopulativa condicional enfática.12

This construction can often be translated directly with the English equivalent.

Si nos pasa algo en nuestra relación, es que no nos hacemos ni puto caso — If there is anything wrong with our relationship, it's that we don't pay each other the slightest bit of attention

c) Si+A+ser+porque+BThis construction is common in colloquial Spanish. With speculation, the sentence can be translated literally, but if we are referring to the past the sentence may have to be reworded to sound natural.

Si lo hace, seráporque le gusta — If he does it he must like it (we know he does it)

Si llamó, seráporque quiere algo — If he called he must want something (we know he called)

Si estoy aquí esporque te quiero — The reason I'm here is because I love you

Si lo hice fueporque no quería discutir (si hubiera querido discutir no lo habría hecho) — The reason I did it was that I didn't want to argue

Si me escapé fueporque tuve mucha suerte — I only managed to escape because I was really lucky

Si no se enteró fueporque nunca encendió la televisión — The reason he didn't find out was that he never turned on the television

2. Otras Pseudocondicionales

Conditional-type sentences where the 'if clause' (la prótasis) is not actually a condition that must be met are sometimes called pseudocondicionales. With this type of construction you are effectively saying 'if A is true then B is true too'; 'while A is/may be true, B is also true'; 'as A is true, so is B'; 'if A is to be called X, then B is to be called Y, based on the premise than they are both true'.

Silos españoles son optimistas, los jóvenes españoles lo son más — While the Spanish in general may be optimists, their youth are a lot more so-Estoy cansado -Si tú estás cansado, yo lo estoy mucho más — -I'm tired - You may be tired, but I'm more tiredSi tú tienes hoy mala leche, yo tengo mucha más — If you're in a bad mood, then I'm in a terrible one

b) Contraste

One element in the second clause (la apódosis) is contrasted with the 'if clause' (la prótasis). While often these are opposites, sometimes the two elements are simply juxtaposed to show some sort of similarity or contrast.

Si tu familia son los Simpsons, mi familia son los Flanders — If your family is the Simpsons, then my family is the Flanders

Si a Zahara de los Atunes hay que ir con ganas de playa, también hay que hacerlo con hambre — If an appetite for the beach is needed, then so is an appetite for food (juxtaposing the appetite for the beach and the food; putting them on the same level)

Siantes vivían peleando, ahora son buenos amigos — While before they would always quarrel, now they are good friends

c) Retórica

Especially in spoken Spanish, the 'if clause' often follows a rhetorical question. This construction is generally used to justify or deny the existence of a reason, and it tends to appear with adverbials total, al final, al fin y al cabo, etc. Sometimes the si is omitted.4

¿Para qué comprar un coche nuevo, si nunca lo usamos? — Why buy a new car if we never use it? (if≈since; there is no reason to buy a new car)

¿Por qué tenemos que ir a la boda?, (si) total, apenas los conocemos — Why do we have to go to the wedding if we hardly know them?

¿De qué nos sirve tanto dinero, sial final no somos felices? — What's the point in having so much money, if in the end we're not happy?

¿A qué vamos a la ciudad? Si, total, no tenemos dinero para gastar — What are we going to the city for if we don't even have money to spend? (since we don't have money)

d) Absurdo

In this interpretation, similar to English, the second clause is ironic and therefore amounts to denying the first clause. Sometimes the second clause is an expression such as que venga dios y lo vea.1